(Photo by Jared Wickerham/Getty Images)
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) – The NFL owners are meeting in New Orleans to discuss proposed changes to kickoffs and making all scoring plays reviewable next season.
The NFL’s competition committee is proposing moving the kickoff up to the 35 yard line, and bringing a touchback out to the 25.
The committee is also considering not allowing any player, except for the kicker, to line up more than five yards behind the ball. They are also discussing outlawing wedge blocks on all kickoffs.
Another proposed change is to allow instant replay for all scoring plays, which would allow coaches to save one of their challenges.
Steelers president Art Rooney will not be voting in favor of any of the proposed changes and thinks the league is going too far in the name of player safety.
Rooney sees the proposed changes by the committee as the league trying to fix something that isn’t broken.
In an interview with the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Ed Bouchette, Rooney said, “The fans are going to sit there and wait and, okay, is that a touchdown or not? Are they going to review it or not?”
The officials “basically started to be hesitant to make a call because they knew everything they were going to do was going to be reviewed. I think that could be one of the effects of this, guys not wanting to make a call because they know it’s going upstairs no matter what they call.”
The owners were presented the changes yesterday and will be voting on them today.
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